Great Leadership Begins with a Responsive Leader
Running a nonprofit can be overwhelming and chaotic. The last thing we consider making an investment in is a leadership development training or retreat. However, evaluating your leadership style is vital to your nonprofit’s success. Through responsive leadership you can create a strong company culture, which can ultimately improve employee engagement, increase productivity, promote brand loyalty, and enhance financial performance.
“Strong, responsive, and inclusive leadership” is one of the six pillars of our upcoming Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP), set to begin in Santa Rosa (for the first time!) February 12rh. Within that pillar, much emphasis will be placed on developing your leadership brand and presence.
A large part of developing your leadership brand and presence involves responding to employees’ feedback through responsive leadership. In a recent article published by CVNL partner Charlotte Kells, she elaborates on how to listen to your employees in order to develop your brand and presence. We hope you’ll take the time to read the article below!
Here are some highlights:
“To me, leadership presence is truly about articulating your value proposition and influencing and connecting with others” […] It is a state of being which demonstrates three things:
- An energetic connection with others
- Authentic self-expression
- The ability to inspire and motivate
“The process of developing our leadership presence starts with understanding our leadership brand. First of all, what are our own values, standards, and personal mission for our leadership?”
“Next, we need to ask, what is our impact with all of that on others? What are people’s perceptions of us as leaders?”
“Regardless of our own intentions, it is the perceptions and experience of others which can help us determine our true leadership brand.”
-Charlotte Kells: CVNL partner, ELP faculty, and founder of Kells Associates
If this content piqued your interest or left you feeling energized and wanting more, consider registering for the Spring 2020 ELP at CVNL in Santa Rosa or Marin! The Excellence in Leadership Program is a focused, immersive program with over 45 hours of teaching and coaching from expert faculty and nonprofit professionals, including Charlotte Kells. Whether you are an emerging leader with an ambitious vision or a veteran leader looking for new ways to develop, there’s a seat at the table for everyone. Register today!
Written in collaboration with Blake Killingsworth, CVNL Volunteer